The Fabricator – Quarterly Newsletter – July, 2025

ART FAIR HAMILTON September 26 – 28th, 2025

By: Ashley Shortall

INTRODUCING ANNETTE AUTERI 

Cowork Manager, Curator, The Cotton Factory,

Founder and Creative Director, Art Fair Hamilton

artfairhamiltonevents.com

Your Role with Art Fair Hamilton

(image: Annette Auteri (nee Paiement)

As Creative Director, my focus is on building long-term mentorship and collaboration within Hamilton’s arts scene.

How are you coordinating the fair this year?

We’re developing Art Fair Hamilton into a nonprofit that supports exhibitions, residencies, and mentorships year-round. This year, the Women’s Art Association has come on board as our Charitable Partner, which aligns with our values around elevating underrepresented voices.

Art Fair Hamilton is more than a marketplace—we’re building a mentorship hub where artists gain skills, economic opportunities, and peer connections to grow long-term.

Collaborating with curators and artists?

This year features shared leadership—multiple curators are leading exhibitions, each with their own voice. We’re also launching ReConnect, a workshop series in September that invites people to reengage with hands-on, traditional art practices. This structure allows artists to learn from diverse mentors and approaches, not just a single curatorial voice.

What excites you most?

I’m excited by the collaborations and energy of so many inspiring artists and curators. With so few galleries in Hamilton, we aim to offer real, ongoing opportunities for artists to show, sell, and build meaningful networks. When artists get invited elsewhere or grow from the connections made here, that’s a success.

Guest-Curated Areas

The TH&B Collective is presenting a sculpture show rooted in collaboration.

Karen Klucowicz is co-curating a resident show with the Dye Works studio.

Laura Keaney and Jill Letten are co-curating the Spaces Between

See Call for Submission: The Spaces Between Here

We have two international exhibitions coming to Art Fair Hamilton to be announced soon!

More partnerships are in development—some surprises to come!  Learn more about featured exhibitions, workshops and events at:  www.artfairhamiltonevents.com

Are there any Themes or Installations to Highlight?

This year’s theme, The Beauty of Uncertainty, captures the emotional landscape we’re living in—climate crisis, political instability, and anxiety about the future. Artists are using their work to navigate, cope, and connect in these uncertain times. We hope this shared exploration brings meaning—and maybe even healing.

 

Who is Annette? Tell us about your background in the arts.

I’ve been an artist since my first paid theatre job at age 12. From the Queen St. W music scene in the 90s to graduating with honours in Sculpture/Installation from OCAD and completing the Interactive Arts & Entertainment program at the Canadian Film Centre CFC, collaboration has always driven me.

At the Art Gallery of Hamilton, my title was Manager of Film, Performance and Special Events. I programmed music and special events and served as Festival Director of the AGH Film Festival for over 7 years. Those years taught me the value of creating space for artists to share, grow, and connect.

After moving from Toronto and leaving Harbourfront Centre following my mother’s passing, I focused more on community-based arts programming.

That’s what inspired my proposal for CoWork at The Cotton Factory—a shared space where artists, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs collaborate and learn from one another. Over 10 years later, that creative energy still inspires me every day.

What brought you to The Cotton Factory? What do you enjoy most about your role?

As Cowork Manager and Curator at the Cotton Factory, I love facilitating connections and supporting professional growth. No two days are the same. I work with artists, entrepreneurs, and community members—each with their own story and goals.

I aim to foster a space where people feel ownership and connect on their terms. Watching artists present for the first time or witnessing spontaneous collaborations between entrepreneurs shows this approach is working.

My behind-the-scenes role includes helping people frame their stories, encouraging creative risks, and offering mentorship frameworks. Seeing people grow their work through these relationships brings me the most joy.  

For information about CoWork or Cotton Factory Exhibitions, you may email Annette at annette@coworkfactory.ca

Meet Dawn Grant

Following the vibrant success of The Colour of Joy exhibition in 2024, curator and multidisciplinary artist Dawn Grant returns to Art Fair Hamilton with a new project that delves even deeper into global traditions, material memory, and the intricate craft of storytelling through textiles, fibre art and weaving

See Call for Submissions: Textile Traditions Here

Meet Tara Westerman

Curator of the 2025 Printmaking Exhibition at Art Fair Hamilton

We’re thrilled to introduce Tara Westermann, the Curator of the 2025 Printmaking Exhibition and Director at Smokestack Presentations. Tara brings a wealth of experience and a deep passion for print-based practices to this year’s Art Fair Hamilton.

 

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Welcome to The Thrifty Corner: Fashion with a Conscience

By: Leslie Smith-Aragona

Leslie Smith has been creating unique and original, upcycled designs in Hamilton since 2015 as The THRIFTY DESIGNER focused on sustainability. With 35+ years experience in the fashion industry as a fashion designer and product developer; she combines high quality textiles, design, colour and fit into one-of-a-kind garments demonstrating that style can be both ethical and exquisite.

IN SHORT…

Fast fashion promotes overconsumption and shallow thinking.

It was never built to last.

Every repair resists the plan.

Wearing what you own cuts waste and overproduction.

DID YOU KNOW?

Extending a garment’s life by 9 months cuts its footprint by 20–30%.

THE 7Rs OF FASHION

Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Repurpose, Resell, Rent, Recycle — practical and affordable.

TOP THRIFT FIND: Western/Trucker Denim Jacket

Timeless, versatile, and perfect for Summer 2025’s nostalgic-modern mood.

STYLE IT:

• Double Denim – Light jacket + dark jeans (or vice versa)

• Feminine Layer – Over a lace top or floral dress

• Shoes – Western boots or chunky sandals

• Accessories – Add a scarf, bold belt, or retro belt bag

Stay thrifty, stay stylish, and leave beautiful steps behind.

Fashion That Doesn’t Cost the Earth

In a world of changing trends and overflowing closets, The Thrifty Corner is your guide to conscious fashion—whether you thrift, upcycle, or just want to shop smarter. Discover the impact of fast fashion and how style and sustainability can go hand in hand.

What Fast Fashion Tells Us…

1. Buy More, More Often: Weekly drops push constant shopping and make your wardrobe feel outdated.

2. Trends Over Quality: Trends are sold as more important than long-lasting pieces.

3. Clothes = Disposable: Toss garments after just a few wears.

4. Ignore the Source: Pollution, overproduction, and unfair labor are hidden.

5. Identity = Consumption: Worth is tied to having the “right” look.

 

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UPCOMING EVENTS 

“A-Side / B-Side” is an expanded community project that celebrates the connection between art & music. Collaborative, mixed-media works on paper by 49 Hamilton-based artists will be displayed at Smokestack Gallery across two exhibitions in July and August, presenting a wide range of artistic approaches to music.

“A-Side : smooth jazz”

Opening Reception July 25, 6 – 9pm

on view July 25 – August 8

“B-Side : hard rock”

Opening Reception August 15, 6 – 9pm

on view August 15 – August 29

AdamMatak • AdrielVanvliet • AhrenKarnauskas • AllSortsPress • AndrewMcPhail • BarryCoombs • BreannaShanahan • BryceHuffman • ChristopherHall • CorinneDuchesne • DavidTrautrimas • MimmoBaronello • EricEuler • FuzzyMall • FweeTwade • GordBond • HeatherVida-Moore • HeidiBerton • JacquiOakley • JamieLawson • JaniceKovar • JasonLeeRhyno  •  JessicaMitchell  •  JillLetten  •  JoannaCambruzzi  •  JonTodd  •  JuliannaBiernacki  •  KyleBellenie • KyleStewart • LaineGroeneweg • LauraHeaney • LewisMallard • Lease • MaggieShepherd • MelanieCheung • MichaelByers • MikeBeddome• NatasjaBischoff • NathanEugeneCarson • PaulAllard • SamRoe • SamEstrabillo • ScottAasman • SheaChang • StephenAltena • Stev’nnHall • TaniaLaCaria • TorLukasic-Foss

Smokestack Gallery

Mill Unit #213

Join Cotton Factory Member Breanna Shanahan (she/they) is a recent resident of the traditional territories of the Erie, Neutral, Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee and Mississaugas. She is a sculptor and drawing artist, educator, researcher and community organizer.

Sculpt Your Own Eyes Workshop, at the Art Gallery of Burlington, July 23rd, 6:30-9:30 pm. Register Here

 

The Flag of Me, The Bunting of We: A Fibres Workshop at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, August 28th, 11:00-3:00 pm  Register Here

 

NEW WAVE YOUR BEHAVIOUR

How does a Gen Xer react to the sudden death of his parent? Does he start dissociating so intensely that he can no longer work his job? Or does he get himself a synthesizer and a drum machine to obsess over the pop music of his youth? Interspersing energetic storytelling with a sequence of live original songs, Hamilton, Ontario’s Tor Lukasik-Foss, tells a hilarious and vulnerable story about recalibrating himself through music, specifically 1980s electro-dance new wave.

 

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RED BETTI THEATRE

We are proud to announce the kick-off of our 5th anniversary of Decolonise Your Ears New Play Festival with a fundraiser.

Date: July 31st, 2025.

​Time: 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm

https://www.redbetitheatre.org/

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Lower City Joinery is now hosting a monthly craft night on the third Friday of each month, from 5:30 pm to 9ish pm! We asked that interested participants RSVP @lowercityjoinery

 

 

Cotton Factory Events

Did you know The Cotton Factory offers a variety of spaces to suit every need and budget? From boardrooms perfect for meetings and workshops to our main event space ideal for weddings and markets, we have a venue for every occasion. We even have a community room with affordable hourly rates, making it easy to host gatherings, events, or creative projects. events@cottonfactory.ca

 

This summer, Lori LeMare Studio is proud to offer a special course in Traditional Water Gilding, taught by Alison Woolley, a master artisan recognized by the Region of Tuscany. With over 25 years of experience in Florence, Alison has worked on projects for the Opera of Versailles and Salvatore Ferragamo.

Participants will gain in-depth, hands-on experience in:

• Preparing rabbit skin glue, traditional chalk gesso, and bole clay
• Understanding and working with different karats of gold
• Gilding both flat and carved wooden surfaces
• Burnishing techniques for achieving a mirror-like, solid gold finish

 

This class revives traditional European water gilding methods, using only natural materials, just as they were practiced centuries ago

Learn more at lorilemarestudio.com or check out our past projects, and stay up to date and follow us on Instagram @lorilemarestudio

 

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+CREATE is located at The Cotton Factory, 270 Sherman Avenue North, in Hamilton, Ontario!

Our studios are where creativity and exploration come to life. We offer a welcoming environment where you can develop your artistic journey, whether through workshops, courses, or camps. Our spaces are thoughtfully designed to inspire and support you as you discover new techniques and refine your craft.

With two distinct studios, each offering a unique atmosphere, we encourage both collaboration and individual growth. We are serious about studio practice and committed to honouring each person’s creative process.

At +CREATE, your ideas matter, and we are here to guide and celebrate your journey every step of the way.  For details and dates, visit:  www.pluscreate.ca or email info@pluscreate.ca

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NEW BOOK RELEASE _ LANCE DARREN COLE

A journey of poetic awakening born from a homecoming that transcends the ordinary. After twenty-three years away, Lance Darren Cole returned to Hamilton, where the familiar landscape of his roots inspired a profound creative renaissance. Drawing from a rich tapestry of experiences through travels, artistic encounters, the embrace of nature, moments of unexpected fortune, and the inevitable challenges of life, Lance distilled these insights into verses that speak directly to the soul’s deepest truths.

Preorder yours at lancedarrencole.com

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The Mulespinner Presents,

Emily Marques and Natalie Reis

Celebrating local female storytelling and heartfelt music

August 16th, 2025, Doors Open at 7:30 PM

With Special Guest Ashley Marie Stennett

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Artist In Residence

I’m thrilled to introduce you to one of our inspiring artists-in-residence at The Cotton Factory. His work and story offer a beautiful window into creativity, process, and resilience.

— Ashley Shortall, FABRICATOR & Social Media Coordinator

Artist Interview: Matt Dampier

What drew you to apply for the artist residency at The Cotton Factory?

My first visit to The Cotton Factory was during art school at Sheridan. My sculpture professor brought us for a studio tour, and I was blown away. The history, the architecture, the energy of so many artists in one space—it felt like a creative hive. So when I heard about the residency, I jumped at the chance.

Describe your artistic practice in three words—and explain them.

Adventure, Therapeutic, Experimental.

Adventure: I like having a loose plan but enjoy seeing where a piece takes me—it’s like stepping into the unknown.

Therapeutic: I came back to art during a tough time in my life. It gave me calm, a way to process emotion. I honestly believe it saved me. Experimental: This is where I play—“What if I try this?” That curiosity keeps my work fresh and fluid.

How has The Cotton Factory influenced your work?

The space has shaped how I see and create. Surrounded by industrial lines and textures, I’ve become more focused on structure and form. Lately, I’ve leaned into pen and ink—its contrast feels right for the bold geometry around me.

What project are you exploring during your residency?

I’m juggling a few smaller works, but my main focus is Passenger Window—a series of abstracted aerial views on aluminum panels, each cut to match a real plane window. It’s an idea that’s lived in me for a while, and now’s the time to make it real.

What materials or techniques are you experimenting with?

I’m working with aluminum and sheet metal, testing different paints and mediums that bind but still let the metal show through. I’m loving watercolour’s fluidity, and I recently started using alcohol inks—thanks to an artist I met here.

Who are your biggest artistic influences?

I admire the old masters—what they created with so little. I love Monet’s Houses of Parliament series. John Harris’s dramatic space views and John Duffin’s bird’s-eye urban prints also deeply influence me.

What’s a typical day in your studio like?

I start with a list, then warm up with something playful—like watercolour on Yupo. It’s almost meditative. I balance admin tasks with hours on my main project. I aim to paint every day—it’s something I need to do.

How do you hope people feel when they view your work?

As a pilot, I’d spend hours looking out at the Earth. From that height, it all feels peaceful and united. That’s what I hope to share—that quiet, borderless perspective.

What’s one lesser-known fact about you that informs your art?

I see myself as a globalist. Having lived in several countries and viewed the world from above, I see everything as deeply connected. That shapes how and why I create.

What’s next after your residency?

I don’t know yet—and that’s okay. This journey with art has been unexpected and beautiful. I’m open to where it leads next.

Upcoming events, I’m starting a new intro to acrylic painting on Friday, July 17th, 6-9 pm, the course runs over 10 weeks in Waterdown at Creative Insight Pottery

I’m also starting a plein air group in Hamilton every other Saturday, starting July 5th. I’ll just announce the location on Instagram and invite people down to sketch, paint or even just chat. 

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Natalie Hunter

Website: natalie-hunter.com

Instagram: @natalogue

About the Artist

I’m a visual artist from Hamilton working across photography, installation, sculpture, and moving images. I’m best known for immersive, multi-layered photo-based installations on transparent film. For over a decade, my practice has explored time, space, memory, and the senses through the interplay of image, material, and form.

I often describe myself as a sculptor who fell in love with images. Light is central to my process, whether capturing it on film or using it to shape physical space. My installations combine photography’s immaterial qualities (light, time) with sculptural techniques to explore how memory and perception shift through motion, light, and colour. These works change with the time of day, sunlight, and viewer movement. I’m inspired by phenomena like breath, time, and memory, and how they can be rendered in material form—whether through photography, bending wood, or sculptural experiments that often teach me as much as they challenge me.

Process + Career

My images are made using in-camera techniques—multiple exposures, colour, and natural light. While guided by intuition, I’m always thinking about the principles of light and time. Once outside the camera, images become materials: transparent film and other ephemeral, flexible surfaces that reflect the fluid nature of thought and memory. I fold, layer, and suspend these materials to create immersive installations.

Over the past five years, my work has expanded into public art and architectural response. Bathed In Strange Light, for example, is a site-responsive installation currently on view at The Bentway in Toronto (May–Oct 2025), produced with Contact Photography Festival. The work explores how light impacts the body and mind in urban spaces and shifts throughout the day with the sun and viewer movement.

Current Work

I’m now working on You Might As Well Try and Hold the Sun, an installation for Cambridge Galleries, Queen’s Square. This project uses slow-moving imagery that responds to the sun’s daily rhythms. Referencing the nearby Grand River, translucent images will cast ambient colour and light through the space as daylight streams through south-facing windows.

Looking Ahead

With support from the Canada Council for the Arts and Ontario Arts Council, I’m completing a Research and Creation Grant to explore the sensory and emotional connections between light, time, memory, and breath—developing new photographs, installations, and sculptural work.

Selected Exhibitions

• (Upcoming) You might as well try and hold the sun, Cambridge Galleries, Aug 2025 – Aug 2026
• Bathed In Strange Light, The Bentway x Contact Festival, Toronto, May – Oct 2025
• Contact Festival | The Bentway
• What We Inherit, Workers Arts and Heritage Centre, Hamilton, Jan – Apr 2025
• Through sunset, slow dusk, and gathering dawn, JNAAG, Sarnia, Jan – Aug 2024

The Fabricator was the in-house newsletter of the Imperial Cotton Company. To celebrate this legacy, each issue will feature a page from the original publication on the back cover. Our history is rich, and we are committed to honouring the memories of all the hands that have worked at 270 Sherman Ave N—making, creating, and shaping its story. As we look to the future, we continue to foster creativity, innovation, and community within these historic walls.